Get Outdoors - Women: Sleeping Bags

Several manufacturers make excellent sleeping bags for women. These generally have narrower shoulders, wider hips and more insulation in the foot section. We like these bags because they keep us warmer without causing us to carry more weight. We also like bags that come in "short", 5'6" or 5'7" lengths, which work well for many women.

If you are new to choosing a bag, decide first how warm a bag you need. Be aware that manufacturer?s temperature ratings are a rough guide only. There are currently no generally accepted standards among manufacturers for rating the comfort ranges of sleeping bags, and ratings differ among manufacturers. Be aware of whether you are a "cold sleeper", that is, one who finds herself cold even when sleeping in conditions that are within the temperature rating of the bag, or a "warm sleeper", where the opposite is true.

Many women are cold sleepers. Once you know this, you can get a warmer rated bag and avoid the misery of cold nights. Frankly, we think that many women have been miserable for years because their bags simply weren?t warm enough for the way their bodies function. We have speculated that some manufacturers must rate bags using furry, 300-pound men. So don?t be shy about buying a warm sleeping bag ? it is terrible being cold!

Once you have decided how warm a bag you need, think about whether you prefer down or synthetic insulation. Choose synthetic if you will often be out in wet conditions, especially if you may find yourself without a tent, or are not willing to be meticulous about keeping the contents of your pack dry. Down loses its insulating properties when it is wet, so it?s a poor choice for consistent use in soggy conditions. Synthetic insulation is also generally cheaper for the warmth rating so can be a better value if you are on a budget. However, it?s also generally heavier and bulkier for the warmth rating.

Down offers the best warmth to weight ratio and generally compresses into a smaller stuff sack, which can be especially important if you are carrying full winter or alpine gear. Down bags, well cared for, will last many years. We prefer down for most conditions if you can afford it.

Important characteristics of down bags include the "fill power" of the down and the baffle system. Fill power is determined by allowing one ounce of down to fully loft in a test cylinder. Its volume is its "fill power".Thus, an ounce of down that fills 750 cubic inches has "750 fill power." Generally, the higher the fill power the better, because higher fill power provides more warmth for the weight. You may also want to look at the loft of the bag. The more loft, the more dead air space and the warmer it will be. Baffles are what keep the down in place. Sometimes, especially for bags that go from warm to mid-range temperatures, it?s nice to move the down around to suit conditions. For cold weather, you don?t want the down to shift and internal baffles should prevent it from doing so, without compromising the warmth of the bag with a sewn-through seam. Warmer bags should also have good collars, or top baffles, to close off the flow of cold air down the top of the bag, and at least one, and better two, baffles alongside the zipper to prevent inflow there.

Warmer down bags typically come with a Gore DryLoft or other water-resistant breathable outer fabric option. These fabrics provide some protection against moisture and condensation, the natural enemies of down bags. While we have had excellent performance from DryLoft and can highly recommend it for the best available protection in a down bag, some feel that in super-cold conditions, such as Denali, it will not breathe well enough to allow moisture from your body to escape through the down, thus causing ice to form inside the down and compromising the warmth of your bag. A vapor barrier liner can prevent this.